Two weeks later:
"Damn it." Dira cursed as she emerged from her office holding and gazing at her slick and expensive phone in her hand.
Both Loki and Brad the waiter looked up in the empty cafe, it was early morning and the diner wasn't open yet, but the pair of them had turned up to work as usual.
"What's wrong?" asked Brad watching with concern.
"That was Jessie calling." Dira explained to them from the back of the room. "Apparently Andy called it off with her last night."
"You're joking" Exclaimed Brad.
Dira shook her head with a sad and grim expression. "I'm afraid not. She was in floods of tears on the phone. Now, I've promised Jess I'd go over later after work, but for now she's not coming and I'm one worker down on a busy weekend." She finished in a frustrated tone.
Loki turned in head and kept it down. He didn't understand these Midgardians, how they broke down at everything that happened to them, and why they let their hearts get caught in so much confusion and so quickly. It was really quite pitiful how much theses mortals hurt their own selves. He thought quietly to his self.
"Logan." Dira called, disturbing his thoughts. She was staring at him. "I don't suppose..." She started a little quietly. "I know you're not qualified, but you've seen the guys working and you know how it's done. I know I really shouldn't be asking but I really need another worker, so I don't suppose you could fill in for Jessie, just for today." She was nervous and begging even slightly.
Her statement touched Loki in some way. He'd wanted her to be begging him ever since he'd met her, and he'd been lasting on the knowledge that he would use her and someday have her beg. And yet here she was begging him, but not at his hands, at the hands of her business and all that she lived for and was important to her was this diner and the people she served. He couldn't understand how a girl with so much of everything, money, beauty, and everything these Midgardians crave, and yet at heart she didn't care for herself, only for others. He realised now that he'd never get her to beg, it would mean so little to her.
"I'll give you extra pay for it." Dira quickly added, still staring at his blank face.
Loki shook off his feelings and gave a warm smile to her. "No extra pay needed." He told her in a silky voice. "You've done enough for me and I'd be happy to do anything for you in return."
Dira let out a yelp of excitement and jumped up and down on the spot a few times while clapping her hands together tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Logan." She cried happily while whizzing round the counter and wrapping her arms around Loki quickly.
Loki nearly toppled over at the sudden weight of Dira grabbing him, but he steadied himself and put on a fake smile and laugh. Or was it fake? For despite Loki's recent disappointment in realising Dira might never kneel to him, he felt comforted somewhat by her warmth wrapped around him and her joyful voice in his ear.
Behind nether of them noticed Brad smiling knowingly at the pair of them as they embraced cheerfully.
And on that day Loki started to belong somewhere, even though he would have never considered himself belonging on Midgard, and he didn't even realise himself that he was belonging yet.
No longer was he simply hiding from the world, working lousy cleaner's shifts between busy periods. He started to understand while this job meant so much to Dira; it was enjoyable to serve people in the diner, to see their faces smiling as they chatted with friends and family. To be around Brad and Dira gave Loki a sense of purpose.
"Thank you so much for helping today, Logan." Dira said to Loki as the day ended. They were in the store room together, located through the other door at the end of the diner. It was a small room, with shelves stacked high all the way round. Loki wouldn't usually be in there, but Dira needed the help. Dira turned to him after pushing a large cardboard box up onto the shelf and smiled. "I couldn't have got through the day without you."
"It was nothing." He told her honestly, he felt a little ashamed for using her kindness the way he did and taking advantage of her. Dira loved everything and everyone and Loki started hate himself for being such a twisted mind.
"Oh but it is too me." She told him. "And you know what; I might put you on some extra jobs. You're shaping into a good worker."
Loki didn't know why, but it meant something to him to hear Dira say she was almost proud of him. All his life he'd never had the praise, it had always been Thor with all his skill that was loved and adored by all. But here was a mysterious woman, who was rich but it didn't mean anything to her, and she thought well of him despite Loki having never worked a day in his life. It changed him slightly to know that because of his own work he'd done well.
"You'd do that?" He asked unsurely. Why was this woman so nice to him, when all he had ever been was rejection and hate?
"Yes, I would." She smiled, walking out the storeroom and into the empty diner.
"Thank you." He told her honestly, feeling almost scared in the presence of this kind-hearted woman. "Excuse me, I have to go."
"I know." She said, suddenly tired as she glanced up at clock. "You'd better go, you've had a busier day than usual after all."
"Thank you." Glad to be away at last he gave her his usual fake smile. "Goodnight."
She gave him a final wave as he opened the glass door and left.
